Cradle Song
by Jenwryn
Summary: Lily/James. To make up for the fact that I've been indulging in HGSS, here is some James & Lily for your reading pleasure. Harry is a small baby, they're living in Godric's Hollow, and Sirius visits. James&Lily&Sirius friendshippy. Follows canon. R&R.


_Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. Original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. Not beta-read; don't shoot._

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**Cradle Song **

Lily Potter hummed softly as she supported her baby in her arms and watched him feed. She didn't actually remember the words for the song, though she knew it came from somewhere deep amongst her earliest childhood memories. Her grandmother, she thought, might have sung it to Petunia and her on long winter evenings, but she couldn't be sure. Besides, it hardly mattered. Harry didn't care what she sang or hummed, so long as he could hear her voice; the knowledge delighted her and summoned up an irrepressible grin to her face. "You're the most beautiful little man, aren't you?" she murmured, pausing in her humming to stroke him gently on his cheek where his face pressed against her breast, and he blinked up at her. "You're going to be just like your Daddy, aren't you?"

Harry blinked those big green eyes of his and Lily laughed low and stroked his cheek a little more, then ran her fingertips gently through his downy black hair. He already had such a headful of it. It always made Bathilda pull a wry amused expression when she saw him. But Lily liked it.

Oh, how much she longed to take her son and show him off to Petunia. It was at times incredibly infuriating to be stuck here in the house with only the Marauders and Bathilda and occasionally Dumbledore as visitors. Not that she didn't enjoy their company, because she did, and it wasn't as though she didn't comprehend the dangerous circumstances they found themselves in, because she did that too. But – well – there were simply days when a girl wanted to see her sister. Even if Petunia could be a right silly pompous chicken sometimes, she was still her sister, and Harry was so pretty that Lily was convinced she'd fall instantly in love with him. Then they could sit and drink tea together and later when the boys were older they could play and it would be –

Lily. You're being _beyond_ absurd.

She sighed and started humming again. Soon Harry had had his fill and he let go of her breast and she dabbled them both dry with the towel she had resting on her knees and buttoned her blouse back up before lifting him gently against her shoulder and rubbing his back firmly. He leant contentedly against her for a while, then wriggled and made that odd little happy noise that told her James must have walked into his line of sight. Lily turned and looked at her husband leaning in the doorway. He had that self-satisfied smile on his face, the one he always wore when he watched her and Harry together, and she could feel herself glow beneath it. "Hello, you," she said, and his grin broadened, "Where've you been?"

"Downstairs. Old Padfoot's dropped by. I figured you hadn't heard him com in, but he's downstairs stuffing his face with that raisin cake you baked."

Lily smiled. "He always did have impeccable timing. In more ways than one – Harry is in the perfect mood for guests and you know Sirius only comes here for my food and Harry." And she gave her husband a teasing glance.

James didn't seem the least bit slighted by his friend's motives and chuckled, "I swear he gets positively _clucky _when he has our lad in his arms. I keep telling him, he should hurry up and get himself one, to keep Harry company."

His wife laughed and stood up, "And no doubt Sirius, who has always been wiser than you, reminds you that there's a war on and now's not the time to be procuring himself a family. Not that he couldn't at the drop of a hat. I know more than a few girls who favour the tall, dark and carelessly handsome type."

"Tall, dark and carelessly handsome? You must be talking about me, Lil." Sirius appeared in the doorway behind James and grinned, "Sorry for barging up here but your kitchen is damned boring."

"Which means you've eaten all the cake, right?" demanded James, and Sirius punched him playfully in the arm.

Lily went over and hugged her friend as best she could, given that she was holding Harry, and then said in amusement, "Well go on then, you may as well take him. I know it's not _me _you come to see, you big softie."

Sirius smirked at her, "Ah, Lily, Lily, you know I'll take you off your buffoon of a husband's hands any time you get bored with him, just say the word." James rolled his eyes but Sirius didn't notice because he'd already accepted the baby from Lily and held Harry carefully in the crook of his arm. Harry blinked for a moment at the familiar smell of the leather jacket, then rewarded his godfather with a massive gummy grin. Sirius grinned back and sat down on the chair that Lily had just vacated and started murmuring nonsense about motorbikes and broomsticks in a conversational tone.

Lily exchanged a secret smile with her husband then grabbed his arm and said, "We'll be back in a tick, Sirius. May as well put the kettle on and I'll see if I can rummage up some more food for you, you great bottomless pit." And she pulled James down the stairs in her wake. In the kitchen her husband stopped and smiled at her knowingly. She leant in against him and was the image of wide-eyed innocence. "Why're you looking at me like that, Mr Potter?"

He ruffled up her hair and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Because, Mrs Potter, I think it's cute the way you always make sure Sirius gets some quality time with Harry and try to make out like he doesn't know what you're up to. You're such a little player."

She put her face against him and grinned against his neck, "Well, he's so darn stubborn; he won't admit he's mad about him." She wrapped her arms around James' waist and murmured softly, "It just makes me happy, James, to know he's there. To know that if anything ever happens—"

"Hey," James reproved sharply, holding her back gently against his arms so he could look at her with his stern green eyes, "None of that nonsense. Nothing's going to happen. We're safe here."

She smiled, "I know, I know, I'm just saying… Sirius would give his life for our little boy, James. I can feel it in my bones."

James ran his hand along her arm thoughtfully, "You know, I reckon he would. Let's just hope it never comes to that, eh?"

Lily Potter put her face against his shoulder and nodded. But she didn't say a word.


End file.
